


wherever you are

by euphorihyuk (bluehfk)



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Fate & Destiny, Light Angst, M/M, Memory Loss, Time Skips, Time Travel, im still a mess from find you
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-15
Updated: 2020-05-15
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:40:31
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24196063
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bluehfk/pseuds/euphorihyuk
Summary: in which one fateful accident derails the course of Time.
Relationships: Chae Hyungwon/Lee Hoseok | Wonho
Kudos: 9





	wherever you are

**_Seoul, 2019_ **

Hyungwon had always wondered what it would feel like to be trapped in time. To just let it consume him as it took its course – would he cease to exist as time went on? would he even be conscious? Despite all the stories his father had told him as a kid about the power of time travel, how it had been gifted to the men in their family, the boy had always yearned to experience it himself.

Because this ability was what made the Chae family special, yet all he’d ever known was life in the Present. But it was as much a curse as it was a blessing, Hyungwon had been warned sternly by his mother.

Father Time was not to be reckoned with, just like the omnipotent Fate herself, for he’d heard stories whispered about those who tried to live against the laws of the universe – only to learn a terrible lesson. Thus, he'd lived a life knowing of his power but never daring to wield it. He'd never had a reason to, anyway. When the time comes, my son, you must use your powers to do good things, were the words of his father.

From then on, he swore never to Travel like the bad people who used their powers to do evil, selfish things. And because his father was a good man, he knew that Time was always there, watching over him. Protecting him, like a guardian angel. Just like it watched over Hyungwon, as he grew into the young man he now was. Reminding him of its presence every time he chanced a glance at the old watch on his father’s wrist. Until everything changed the night of that fateful accident. Until he lost all that he once thought he had.

_**THE DAY OF** _

Hyungwon had never known an alternate reality to the one he lived in now. The one in which time only moved forwards, bringing with it growth with promises of the unknown. The big what ifs of what life could be. So, he tried his best to live the life his parents had planned for him – the one where he was aware of no other time but the present, in the heart of Seoul, the city that never slept. A city full of possibilities.

And in the present, that was how he found himself sat in a bustling arcade, surrounded by his six idiotic – yet endearing – best friends. It was a night worthy to be out celebrating, for the last of them had just finished their college finals. Hyungwon recalled those stressful past few months of endless assignments and surviving off instant noodles with a shudder. But looking back on all that pain, he realises it was all worth it in the end – wasting an entire weekend away without a worry in the world. Except the fact that his friends’ rowdiness was already promising Hyungwon an impending headache.

‘No, that's cheating!’ Kihyun whined, tipsy and obviously tired, yet he never was one to give up. It was their fourth game, yet he was losing dramatically.

Changkyun laughed in response, grinning cheekily as Kihyun gently smacked the back of his head with an open palm. ‘It’s not cheating if I’m ten times better than you,’ the younger teased as the others broke into a fit of giggles. That cheeky little one. Changkyun may be the youngest in their group, but he’d always find a way to get on his hyungs’ nerves. Especially Kihyun. Hyungwon smiled fondly, a warmth settling in his chest.

It was times like this that he felt free. Being with his six closest friends, he could just be himself and forget the memories that haunt him when he’s alone and afraid. With them, felt like he belonged. He wasn’t ‘the time traveller’s son’, as he’d been known as all his life, but just... Hyungwon. Plain old Hyungwon.

In this reality, he was just another college student desperate for escape from packed schedules filled with classes, work and an unending stream of assignments. Hyungwon, the awkward kid with the too-long limbs and swollen lips his friends always teased him about. ‘You’re so cute, like a baby frog,’ Hoseok would always say to him, pinching his cheeks. Hyungwon would always swat his hand away, grumbling. But secretly, he liked being called cute, especially by Hoseok. He was jerked out of his daydream by a sudden shriek.

‘I won!’ Kihyun, loud as ever, threw down his game console as he punched both fists in the air in a show of victory. ‘Better than me, you say? Punk!’ He stuck his tongue out at Changkyun, making the other boys roar with laughter.

Changkyun grumbled in response, cheeks flushed a bright pink; either from the alcohol or mere embarrassment, Hyungwon couldn’t tell. Probably both? Considering several heads were now turned their way from how loud they were probably being.

‘Hey, go easy on the baby!’ Hyunwoo interjected then, despite being immersed in the bright screen of his own game station. Despite failing his game miserably, the broad grin plastered across the eldest’s face told them he was probably slightly beyond tipsy. Otherwise, Hyunwoo rarely grinned, only flashing the smallest of smiles whenever he was happy. He was playing some racing game, but losing marginally. Seemed like the eldest out of the bunch was also tipsy.

‘You should’ve seen your face! Priceless!’ Minhyuk guffawed, slapping the pouting boy on the knee.

‘Ha-ha, now you guys owe me another game,’ Changkyun retorted, refusing to look Kihyun in the eye. ‘Hurts my pride’, he grumbled, only loud enough for Hyungwon to overhear, to which the latter scoffed and handed Changkyun another shot of soju. They all deserved to have fun tonight.

Looking around, Hyungwon saw that the arcade was almost bustling with people now, from young couples to families to drunk uncles just looking for an escape after another busy weekday. The neon sign hung on the window flashed with the word ‘OPEN’, bright against the darkness outside. Despite the sun having set hours before, the streets of Seoul were busy as ever, filled with the bustling sounds of nightlife Hyungwon was all too familiar with. This was his home. And in that moment, he was able to forget all the questions he had that were left unanswered, pushed to the back of his mind yet far from being forgotten.

‘Hey, you alright?’ it was Hoseok’s voice, its proximity startling Hyungwon out of his momentary reverie. Turning around, he saw the other boy had ditched his own game station, having vacated the stool on the far side of the room next to Jooheon, the latter too busy battling Minhyuk in a racing game to notice. Hyungwon merely nodded in reply, flashing a meek smile that probably didn't quite reach his eyes.

'I could hear your thoughts over all this noise,’ Hoseok said, ignoring the commotion around them – which was mainly caused by their rowdy friends – Kihyun and Changkyun still bickering to no end, ‘you should try to relax more.’ It was at the elder’s words that Hyungwon realised he had, indeed been sitting quite rigidly in his seat, blankly staring at the screen in front of him, the game long forgotten as he once again drifted off into a thoughtful silence.

He tended to do that a lot, his friends would always remind him. 'It’s one of your charms, hyung,’ Changkyun had once told him. But even such comforting words failed to calm the storm that brewed inside Hyungwon’s chest – the butterflies of anxiety that had found their home inside him ever since he could remember – and stayed.

It was a part of him that came with being ‘special’, his mother had once reminded him. That he shouldn’t worry too much about it, because having special powers always came at a price. Being a Traveller meant he was forced to bear the burden of his perpetually racing heart – and thoughts that imminently came with it. Just like Achilles and his heel.

Now Hyungwon felt a pair of large, warm hands rested on his shoulders, instantly easing the tension that had been there before. The warmth exuding from those hands spread across his entire body despite the several layers he wore to fend off the cold. He barely suppressed the sigh that escaped his lips as Hoseok began massaging them, sending a pleasant shiver up his spine. Trust Hoseok to always be the one keeping Hyungwon on his feet, without whom the latter would probably be off daydreaming all day.

He heard the elder chuckle behind him, feeling his stomach rapidly expand and contract with each laugh. Pressing into Hyungwon’s back, and oh god, he swore he could feel Hoseok’s well-defined abs against his back, even through the puffer jacket he was wearing – then the other leaned down and placed a quick kiss on his cheek. Just a friendly, comforting gesture – no more, no less – which still made Hyungwon blush, feeling the heat rising to his face.

He determinedly stared ahead at the now dimmed screen of his game station, hoping the others were too busy with their own games to have noticed. Thankfully, no one paid the pair any mind. A small smile crept onto his face and as if on reflex, he reached up and covered Hoseok’s large, warm hand, with his colder, bony one. A silent gesture of thanks, for Hyungwon was never quite known to be vocal about his thoughts.

The elder gave his shoulder another reassuring squeeze before heading back to his spot on the far side of the room. Taking the warmth with him. Hyungwon shivered, and not just from the cold. .

_**BEFORE** _

Like with everything else, Hoseok was the first to learn about Hyungwon’s powers.

It wasn’t really a kept secret, so to speak, as the Chae family was quite well known for possessing one of the very rare bloodlines with the gift of time travel – at least back in his great-grandfather’s generation, according to his parents. It did indeed make them ‘special’, yet there wasn’t much one could do with the ability to go forwards or backwards in time. It also posed a risk; dabbling with time was like trying to change one’s fate, as his father had warned six-year-old Hyungwon.

The child with the wide eyes, too small to fully grasp the truth behind his family’s line of gifted men, too young and naïve to understand what it meant to be a Traveller. So Hyungwon had grown up just like every other child, leading a normal life living with normal parents in a normal house going to a normal school each day. Being ‘normal’ meant that there was no reason big enough to have to use his ability, anyways.

Because of this, Travelling was always out of the picture for him and his family. It remained a mere symbol; a mascot of the Chae family’s ancestry. Little did he know just how big a role Time played in the funny thing called Life. Because as he grew from the quiet little boy to a young adult, time never stopped, nor did it move forwards or backwards. It remained a constant in his life, watching over him.

Even when his life changed when his parents had decided to move to Seoul – a large, bustling city that never seemed to sleep; a stark contrast to the quieter outskirts of Gwangju that was once their only home.

For the first time, that little boy was thrust into a new world, surrounded by unfamiliar faces in an unfamiliar school, in a completely foreign yet familiar part of the country. Despite his hometown being a mere road trip away from Seoul, it felt ages away; unreachable. It was this unfamiliarity that bred a deep feeling of longing inside nine-year-old Hyungwon. He longed to live in another time – and place – that didn’t feel so scary and uncertain. He recalls asking his father one night if he could learn how to Travel, maybe a few years into the future, so that he could be a grown-up with no fears.

Hyungwon’s father had merely smiled kindly and pat his son on the head. ‘One day you will be able to use your powers’, said he, ‘but you must be patient. Your time has not come yet, little one’. That was the night Hyungwon learned to be patient and trust Time to take its natural course. Yet he silently questioned his father’s words; why wasn’t he allowed to Travel if he wasn’t using his powers to do evil things? He was a good boy, wasn’t he? Because he was a good boy, though, little Hyungwon obeyed his father’s words.

He tried to push the thought of time travel out of his mind, tried to ignore the rising anxiety at the prospect of an unknown, uncertain future. But above all, he longed for a friend. Maybe it was the universe’s reward to Hyungwon for listening to his father and being a good boy, because he made his first friend on his first day at school. Being the new kid made him feel uneasy, like he was constantly being watched and judged by the other kids; boys and girls who would stare at him curiously as if he were some strange species or difficult math question waiting to be solved.

Not knowing what to do, Hyungwon remained inside their classroom even when the lunch bell rang, hunched over his desk even after the room emptied. He watched as his classmates all ran outside, shouting and laughing with each other and forgetting all about him. In that moment, he wished he was back home, in Gwangju with his old friends. Here he felt unseen, like an outsider. That changed in an instant when suddenly there was a pack of prawn crackers in front of him, held in a pair of small, chubby hands.

Surprised, Hyungwon looked up and saw a boy wearing the biggest smile on his face. It was a toothy grin, stretching across his face. He kind of resembled a bunny rabbit, the cute ones he often saw in cartoons.

‘Hi! Do you want some of my food? My mum gave me money today, so I went to the cafeteria very quickly to buy crackers but please don’t tell her because she doesn’t let me eat junk food on school days’, the boy said all this very quickly.

Hyungwon could only stare up at this kid in awe. The strange kid who noticed him and even bothered to talk to him, even offering him food. Taking Hyungwon’s silence as a cue to keep talking, the boy held out his hand for the former to shake.

‘My name is Hoseok. Want to be best friends?’ And that’s how it all began. From that day on, the two boys were inseparable. . As the years went by, their friendship never waned, and Hoseok became the person Hyungwon trusted most, aside from his family.

He learned that the older boy aspired to become a singer, to which he remarked, ‘you’ve already got the looks to be an idol.’ It was the truth; anyone with functioning eyesight could see how pretty Hoseok was, from his doe-like eyes to toned physique. Not to mention the girls who so blatantly flirted with him in the hallways at school; the chocolate roses and love letters that always flooded his locker every year on valentine’s.

Despite the elder’s popularity, for some reason Hoseok never reciprocated nor acknowledged the love notes he received.

‘Idols don’t date, remember?’ he’d joke, pinching Hyungwon’s cheeks. It was a casual gesture, yet Hyungwon secretly loved being teased by his hyung. Their friendship had always been this way; carefree, teasing.

Understanding. It happened sometime during middle school, at a party Hyungwon could barely remember he details of. He recalls feeling overwhelmed by the crowd gathered in the house – how it was even possible for the entire year level to fit in, with everyone dancing, flailing limbs and all was beyond him. Music blasted from the speakers, its pounding bass matching the heartbeat in his ears. Hyungwon was never a big fan of crowds, always preferring the silence of his own bedroom on weeknights, either studying or procrastinating. So of course, showing up to the ‘biggest event of the year’ was totally not his idea.

‘C’mon, it’ll be fun! You deserve to have fun too!’ and because Hoseok threatened to drag him out of his house, Hyungwon had no choice but to oblige. The elder, ever the social butterfly, could be found at every social event. Why he liked Hyungwon so much was beyond him, not that he was complaining. He was willing to go anywhere, do anything his hyung wanted. Amidst the noise and blinding disco lights, Hoseok reappeared beside the younger, taking his hand, and without a word, dragged him upstairs. Hyungwon was thankful for the escape – until he was pushed into a room full of people; kids he recognised from school and some unfamiliar faces, sat around in a circle.

Hoseok sat, pulling Hyungwon down with him. The latter awkwardly crossed his long legs and raised an eyebrow at the elder, a silent question. ‘We’re playing truth or dare,’ he whispered, leaning close to Hyungwon. Breath tickling his neck, making him shudder. Hyungwon barely paid attention to the game – a few ‘shots’ being taken, some articles of clothing being taken off, crush’s names being spilled – until a girl on the far side of the room chose ‘truth’.

‘What superpower would you want, and why?’ To which the girl replied, ‘time travel.’

It was the first time Hyungwon had heard those words from someone else’s lips, and it stirred something uneasy inside him. Reminded him of his childhood, his old home he missed so dearly; the day his father had told him of their ability. Of the horror stories he’d been told of time travel done by selfish, greedy people – along, of course, with the happy ones in which lives were saved and problems were solved.

‘I want to see what the world looks like in a hundred years,’ said the girl. Those were simple words, innocent enough for a casual game like this one. Yet, Hyungwon couldn’t explain the tingling sensation that travelled up his spine, making him shiver.

Hoseok must've sensed his unease as the elder's hand found his own, where their interlocking fingers were placed in the tight space between them, away from the prying eyes of the crowd. Hyungwon felt his chest flutter as he threw Hoseok a small smile which probably looked more like a grimace. The older boy, perceptive as he was - like some 'freaking sixth sense', Hyungwon once complained - leaned in close and whispered in his ear, 'If you're uncomfortable here, let's just go home.'

Without waiting for a reply, Hoseok quietly excused them from the circle - not that anyone was paying attention to them over the raucous shouting and laughter - and headed out into the corridor, tugging a protesting Hyungwon behind him. Hoseok only let go of the younger's hand when they were out the front door, the thrumming bass from the speakers a mere white noise against the sounds of suburban nightlife - the low rumble of engines, crickets chirping, people yelling next door. It wasn't until Hoseok let go of his hand that Hyungwon realised he'd had it in a vice-like grip.

'Hyung! wait, I can explain -'

'It's alright if you don't want to talk about it. Wonnie, I know whatever that girl said made you uncomfortable and I hate always dragging you to places when you obviously don't like it. I'm sorry.' His head was hung low, like a child being reprimanded by a parent.

Hyungwon was taken aback at the elder's reply, momentarily rendered speechless for he'd mistaken their sudden departure an act of exasperation at the least. He'd known Hoseok would be one to comfort him, and he appreciated him for it - but he'd also mentally prepared himself for yet another Lecture on How to Survive Awkward Social Situations at Parties by Shin Hoseok, usually followed by a live Q&A, with Hoseok asking all the questions (surprise!) and Hyungwon being forced to forge a bunch of white lies to not sound boring but that didn't exactly make him a liar did it?

In fact, hiding a large part of his identity from the world for so long felt like second nature now. If he was a liar, then so was all the men in the Chae family, guilty as charged. And his father was the most honest man he knew. It was this dilemma that had him in thought for a long while, staring up at the starless sky.

When he finally gathered the courage to speak, breath visible in the air, he blamed his lack of brain to mouth filter as he blurted, 'I'm a time traveller'. Shit. Now Hoseok would probably think he was delusional, or some kind of idiot, or joking, or worse -

'I know'. Hoseok's eyes sparkled, illuminated by the sprinkle of stars in the sky. It amazed Hyungwon, how the other boy seemed to shine even in the darkness of the night. 

\- 

It was during his first year of college that his small friendship circle began to grow.

Because Hoseok was a year above him, they couldn’t see each other much around campus, instead hanging out outside of class times. Hyungwon met Jooheon first, the cute kid with dimples whom he sat next to in his Literary Studies classes. Next was Kihyun, his math tutor who was over at his house so often that the older boy had fallen in love with his mum’s cooking – which was the excuse he used to hang out with the younger even after finals were over and his tutoring became redundant. Hyungwon met Minhyuk, who was Kihyun’s roommate at the time. The elder boy’s bubbly, vibrant personality always made him feel free, like he could be himself and open up without the fear of judgement he once carried when first moving to Seoul. Hyunwoo was Hoseok’s designated ‘gym buddy’, whom the latter had introduced Hyungwon to. ‘You and he are alike because you’re both so quiet,’ Hoseok had said. As if that would automatically make them platonic soulmates. The boy wasn't wrong though - not that Hyungwon nor Hyunwoo would ever admit it. Hyungwon finally understood what true friendship was.

**Author's Note:**

> title taken from one ok rock's 'wherever you are' because im obsessed


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